Michel Bibaud
Michel Bibaud (January 19, 1782 - August 3, 1857) was a French-Canadian poet, journalist, and justice of the peace, credited with writing the earliest poetry collection by a French-Canadian to be published in Canada.Céline Cyr, “Bibaud, Michel,” Dictionary of Canadian Biography, volume 8, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–. Web, Oct. 30, 2016. Life Bibaud was born in Cote-des-Neiges, on the island of Montreal, into a family of 9 children of Cécile-Clémence (Fresne) and Michel-Ange Bibaud. He entered Montreal's College Saint-Raphael at 18, studying there until 1806. On May 11, 1812, he married Elizabeth Delisle, daughter of a Montreal cooper; the couple would also have 9 children. He began his career as a journalist at the Montreal Spectateur in 1813. In 1817 he and Joseph-Victor Delorme founded L'Aurore, a political and literry weekly. L'Aurore merged with Le Specateur Canadien in 1819; Delorme became editor, a position he held until 1822. During 1819 he also edited Le Courrier du Bas-Canada, a weekly founded by Delorme. In 1825 Bibaud founded a literary, scientific, and political monthly, Le Biblioteque Canadien, which ran under his editorship until 1830. It was followed by a similar monthly, the Magasin du Bas-Canada, in 1832. During this period he published his poems as Épîtres, satires, chansons, épigrammes et autres pièces de vers (1829). Bibaud was appointed clerk of the market and inspector of weights and measures in Montreal in 1833, and justice of the peace in 1837. Also in 1837 he published Histoire du Canada sous la domination française, a history of Quebec, followed by Histoire du Canada et des Canadiens, sous la domination anglaise in 1844. (A third volume was published only after his death.) He was stricken with paralysis in 1856, and died a year later in the home of his son, Jean-Gaspard. He is buried in Cote-des-Neiges cemetery. Writing Poetry 1830 "saw Bibaud publish his Épîtres, satires, chansons, épigrammes et autres pièces de vers, the first collection of poetry by a French Canadian to appear in Canada. Neither contemporary nor 20th-century critics have been disposed to acclaim the work. Bibaud attempted to enlighten his audience about their misfortunes, to use irony in disclosing their defects and wrongdoings, and to present national and foreign heroes as ideals to emulate. But his poetry was moralizing, severe, bitter, and pessimistic, and it lacked originality, spontaneity, and warmth. A disciple of Horace and Boileau, whom he imitated slavishly, he was considered a third-rate classicist; according to Séraphin Marion, he composed his poems 'like a lumberjack putting up his cottage.'" Prose In 1837 he published Histoire du Canada sous la Domination Française, the earlie st history of French Canada written by a French Canadian. The book covers the period from the founding of Canada to 1731. A 2nd volume, published in 1844 continues the narrative to 1830; and a 3rd volume, treating events from 1830 to 1837, was published by Bibaud's son in 1878. Publications Poetry *''Épîtres, satires, chansons, epigrammes, et autres piéces de vers''. Montreal: L. Duvernay, 1830. Non-fiction *''L'arithmétique en quatre parties''. Montreal: N. Mowler, 1816. *''Histoire du Canada, sous la domination francaise''. Montreal: John Jones, 1837; New York: Johnson Reprint, 1968. *''Histoire du Canada et des Canadiens, sous la domination anglaise''. Montreal: Lovell & Gibson, 1844. *''L'arithmétique à l'usage des écoles élémentaires''. Montreal: Workman & Bowman, 1832; Montreal: J.B. Rolland, 1847. *''Quelques reflexions sur la dernière élection du quartier-ouest de la cité de Montréal''. Montreal: 1832. *''Histoire du Canada, et des Canadiens, sous la domination anglais (de 1830 à 1837). Montreal: Lovell, 1878. Edited *''La Bibliothèque Canadienne; ou, Miscellanées historiques, scientifiques et littéraires (journal). Montreal: 1826-1827. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Michel Bibaud, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Oct. 30, 2016. See also *List of Canadian poets *Timeline of Canadian poetry *Poets of other languages References External links ;Books *Michel Bibaud at Amazon.com ;About *Michel Bibaud in the Encyclopædia Britannica *Bibaud, Michel in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Category:1782 births Category:1857 deaths Category:18th-century poets Category:Canadian poets Category:French-language poets Category:Poets Category:People from Montreal